The most desirable material for piping as a material that is low weight, tough, unaffected by chemicals, and is resistant to the pressure and temperature and mechanical circumstances of the application.
Various plastics are used today in many piping applications, but the best material candidates have properties that are so good for the application that coupling the ends and locating them become such a problem that they are often not used, or a significant cost penalty is incurred to couple or locate the piping.
Where simple gluing or hot forming are difficult to impossible, these best materials cannot be used in some of high quantity applications because of the difficulty of reliably coupling and locating the pipe.
The means disclosed herein provide a very well anchored external annular ring around the pipe that is inexpensive, and may be easily and reliably installed at the point of use by people who are cutting and fitting the pipe. The external ring, once assembled to the pipe, makes possible a number of very easily installed and low cost means for coupling, sealing, and locating the pipe. The figures show a number of these means along with an explanation of how the ring is anchored to the pipe without damaging the pipe in a way that weakens the pipe.